As an accomplished business woman, entrepreneur, author and equestrian, Gigi Stetler has become an inspiration to women everywhere – but her journey wasn’t easy. As a single mother, she became queen of the male-dominated RV industry and entirely redefined its business climate. Since then, she has continued to succeed in many fields with her signature unstoppable determination. Her book, Unstoppable, reads like a bestseller, replete with plot twists, shady characters, and a heroine with many layers. A father-figure mentor who gave Gigi her first opportunity but later stabbed her in the back, an attacker who literally stabbed her 21 times and left her for dead, and success in an industry that conspired to keep her out.

In every instance, Gigi was knocked down, brushed herself off, and came back stronger than ever. Most recently, Gigi has entered the restaurant business, and is now the owner of Hop Won Dinner Club & Skinny Bar, a popular Asian fusion restaurant in Davie, Florida. Gigi even turned her love of horseback riding into a business venture when she created Riding in Style, an equestrian summer camp whose brand has now expanded to include riding apparel, complete with the Riding in Style and Unstoppable insignias. Click here to visit Gigi Stetler’s website.

Sandrine Bardot is Ed’s special guest. The information below is from her website, CompensationInsider.com.

My name is Sandrine Bardot, I am French and I lead my boutique International Compensation & Benefits training and consulting company, The Bardot Group, out of Dubai. Click here to read an overview of the unique products and services I provide.

Comp & Ben is my passion. And I have been incredibly lucky so far… because I was able to combine my job in C&B with my love of travel!

I got to work in London, Rome, Dubai, Turin, Paris, Abu Dhabi and Milan… As part of my job, I was supporting numerous countries at the same time, so I travelled extensively throughout the US, Europe and the Middle East and Africa. Talk about an exciting lifestyle!

With almost 20 years of HR experience, the vast majority of which in International Compensation & Benefits, I have covered all types of populations :

the blue collars manufacturing tractors and excavators at CNH, a subsidiary of Fiat

the project managers and real estate developers at MAF Properties

the sales and marketing teams at Microsoft and Apple

the network and telecom technicians at Sita

the asset managers at MAFAM in Dubai and Mubadala in Abu Dhabi

the engineers at EADS Space and Defense

the logistics people at France Telecom

from the trolley boys and cashiers to the Store Directors at Carrefour in the Middle East

… all the way to Top Executives, dealing with Boards and Compensation Committees.

You name it, I very likely had exposure to it !

If you are interested, you can check my LinkedIn profile, where you can download some of my presentations and see recommendations of my work (remember to click on “View Full profile”).

I maintain my curiosity for Compensation & Benefits, read books, have subscribed to many blogs on C&B and HR, listen to podcasts and attend webinars or watch replays – most of these are provided by US-based organisations and are often scheduled at 8pm or later UAE time…. Talk about commitment !

When I am not working or blogging, I love to read, travel and go out with my friends. I am deeply interested in all things related to urban development, architecture and sociology, which is great because living in the GCC gives me a chance to be exposed to brand new thinking on how cities develop, magnificent examples of contemporary architecture, and a melting-pot of nationalities and cultures unrivalled anywhere in the world.

I am grateful for the opportunities that have come to me, and hope to share some of my experiences with you through this blog.

Utilizing the insights of twenty successful business leaders interviewed exclusively for this book – CEOs, chefs, city managers, nonprofit directors, and entrepreneurs – author Paul David Walker provides a roadmap that everyone, from from people beginning to plan their lives, to those in the halls of power and influence, can use to achieve higher levels of mastery in the art of inventing the future and achieving great success.

As well as being a poet Paul David Walker has been coaching the leaders of Fortune 500 and mid-size companies for over twenty-five years. In this uniquely poetic book about the secrets of great leaders, Paul reveals some of the deeper principles behind creating new realities, which Paul believes is the job of a leader. He takes you on a journey into the heart and mystery of leadership forming a foundation for any leader to become truly great. Visit Paul David Walker’s website!